A campaign group says new research which it is publishing today counters the case for building more roads because proposed new routes are running over budget and that they are unlikely to solve traffic problems even if they go ahead.

New research shows that almost a quarter of a million people with disabilities have no access to public lavatory facilities that meet their needs. The study was commissioned by the learning disability charity, Mencap, which says carers are often forced to use toilet floors to change the people they are looking after.

There is a widespread lack of awareness about social care, confusion about how services are funded and a lack of preparation or planning for future care needs. These are the key findings from research by the Institute for Public Policy Research and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.